Your Friend in Texas

This is a Blog like Topic, I will post a few things that I am thinking about. My intention is to have a general Conversation with all of you. I don't intend this to be about Gaming, Modding or Voice Acting, this is for stuff that doesn't fit any where else here in the Saloon.

If you have questions or comments about anything posted here, well that is what this is, a conversation.

If you want to talk about something not mentioned here, well this is the place, I will talk about what ever, so go ahead and jump in.

This Conversation will not be about anything Political, or very controversial, if we want to talk about Politics, there are a lot of very well run Political WebSites run by some very well educated, Political Historians, and Political Scientist, and they do their homework before saying anything. I may mention something, but I don't want to get deep into stuff like that.

I will use the Spoiler function to save space in overly long Post, I get way too long winded a lot, so if you want to read the long version, just click on the Spoiler tag. See below:

Well after that, I will tell you a little about me:

Spoiler:

I am in my mid 50s, I some how managed to get a Collage Degree in History, I am no good a memorization and remembering dates and names is hard. I have done some odd things over the last 5 decades:

Football: Offensive Line, Tackle and Center. Football is King in Texas.

Worked 15 years in a Chemical plant making Lubricant Additives. I made Over-Based Detergents for everything from small engines, up to very large Marine engines.

In the 1980s I learned to Fly light single engine Aircraft. For 4 years I was a Competition Aerobatic Pilot, and for 3 of the years I owned and flew a Pitts S-1C. I flew several aircraft types, all Single Engine Land, and my Rating was Private Pilot.

I went back to collage to finish my degree in the mid 90s, to get my BA in History, and my Teaching Certificate.

I was a Teacher for about 5 years, until I could not keep working 20 hours every day, I was a good teacher, but as I got overly tired, I was not as good at keeping up with the non-classroom parts, so to live, I had to stop.

After that things went down for 2 or 3 years, but then somebody gave me their Oblivion Disk, because they couldn't play it on their PC. That was a life saver for me, I played Oblivion for Several years, and several thousand hours. And I have played a lot of Fallout3, Fallout New Vegas, Skyrim, and a few other games. I am no Modder, don't have the willpower to figure it out.

After finding Mods, I found a very friendly website that I got involved with Voice Acting for Mods. I had to learn everything about VAing by guessing, reading on-line, and trial and error. But I managed to teach myself to be a useable Voice for Modders, and I have been a voice for a lot of Mods, and a few non-game things. Most of you know my work in a few Mods. Nakia will tell you I will help anybody that wants to improve their VAing. I am no Voice expert, but I do know how to listen to sound files and point out some things to work on, and I am sort-of competent with the Recording Process, using Audacity.

It's funny but all the people I know who have studied History always mention that they had a hard time memorizing dates.

Flying must have been awesome! I would never do that myself since I already have a hard time getting on a plane (unless I really have to) but I can imagine this must be rather thrilling.

As a former teacher I can relate to what you're saying about the chores associated with teaching.

I get what you're saying about modding as well. I consider myself more of a tinkerer than a modder. I make small mods that add some gameplay value but I don't have the patience for bigger mods like quests and NPCs (I tried my hand at modding an NPC for Fallout 3 and it was too much work especially when so many things can go wrong... I play with the Geck for fun, I don't need the frustration).

Let's see... My Family:I have been Married for close to 34 years, and My Wife has not sent me packing yet...

I have 2 Daughters: Kim just got Married last June, and she finished collage back in May, she is trying to get a job as a Teacher, and any day, she could get the call. Her Husband is a Math Student working on his Masters in Math and he has a basic college Algebra class he is teaching to some of the poor math students at Sam Houston State University.Katie is a 2nd year Student a Baylor University, and she is a Vocal Performance Major. She is working toward being a Singer for an Opera Company, as a Soprano. She is very good, and this year she got into the Opera program at Baylor, and she will be in Poulenc's "Dialogue of the Carmelites". Link to a You Tube of The Met production, one of many versions by many Opera companies: I think She will be the next to last Nun, and not a dry eye in the House.I have 2 dogs, and 3 fish tanks, one has 2 Turtles, interesting wet pets.

All for today.

Your Friend in Texas[left]

Last edited by Mr. K on Mon Mar 18, 2013 2:10 pm; edited 1 time in total

If you have questions about any of the odd things I have listed, I can explain a lot about any of it, I will keep it limited to a small subset of any one subject, I promise, I really do promise to keep it short...OK, I will try, but...

Opps, I forgot to tell you about Kayaking in and around the Bayous, and lakes, in the Galveston Bay area, just east of Houston. Maybe latter, lots of fun.

34 years! Congratulations Mr K. I'm 34 (almost 35) and I can't even imagine spending that much time in a relationship. It's a lifetime. It's heartwarming to think that there are still couples who can last so long.

It is great to see this blog up. I already know some of what Mr. K has posted. I hope says a bit about his wife, not personal, but what she does. That I find very interesting.

Texas is a unique place so that should be fun to hear about. I have never lied there but the State and its history and people fascinate me.

No need to worry about politics here the one thing we take seriously is food. What else would you expect from a site set up by a Frenchman? Or is that stereotyping? Carabas did work in the cheese industry and he does take his food seriously. Hopefully you will introduce him to some of the Texas foods.

I don't know if there is a typical any person. Someone said we all have this in common we are unique. You spent three months making cheese more than I did. The only cheese I have ever made is pot cheese or cottage cheese.

True, there is no typical anybody, even in Texas we are a crazily diverse bunch, like most any other place.

Talking about Cheese, We Love Cheese in Texas, and like or unlike many things, we import most of our cheese, from places like Wisconsin. My Wife and I gave for Christmas to our Daughters, small Cheese Making Kits, they liked it and I bet they try it soon.

Well the Texans lost to New England, but it was expected, and we gave them a good challenge. My Wife yelled at the TV a lot, she may not understand a lot of Football, but she loves it anyway, almost as much as I do.

You did mention that the story about the camera was interesting. I think it is amazing. Goes to show how well made some the early things were. They were made to last not wear out after in a couple of years.

It was the County semi-final in what is known as the Bainton. Out of 25 pairs playing 30 boards of bridge, my partner David and I came 2nd so we are through to the final.

The hands in a match are computer dealt into boards labelled North East South West. N & S play as a pair against E & W. There is a movement so after a designated number of boards or hands you play against a different couple. Then how well you have done, whether it is playing to make a number of bid tricks, or to prevent the opposition making their contract, is measured against the other players in the room.

If we manage to come 1st or 2nd in the final, we will be through to a National competition. I'll let you know when the final is so you can all keep fingers and toes crossed for us.

Congratulations, Sue, and good luck in the finals. I never learned to play Bridge. Played Poker in college. Penny ante stuff. Bridge sounds very intellectual to me, Poker is more psychological, lots of bluffing.

I can't sleep, some times I start thinking about things that just get in the way of relaxing.

Talking Politics is the subject for tonight's rolling around time. As some of you know, one of my Friends of about 4 years, decided I was a Crazy person with a crazy political viewpoint, that is painful to have a friend stop talking to you over a complete misunderstanding, and especially over Politics.

Spoiler:

I feel like I have a good handle on how Politics works, I think I can talk to people about politics without letting things get out of hand. I do have an Education that lets me look at Government and how any people operating under a Government works, not just in a close in, or day to day viewpoint, but with the view of History. I have a strong opinion and I also have good reasoning of why I have that opinion.

If any of you have a question on some form of Government, or how something works, ask me, and I will try to answer you, but remember I present information mostly from my viewpoint and that is mostly what you will get, not always, but mostly. The main thing to know about me is that I will be friendly and helpful any time you ask for info.

If you read my 1st post above, I have a few things that I may know more about than most, So if you ask me a question I will ether do my best to tell you all about it, or I will tell you why I can't.

Remember that my explanations for anything I know about can get a little long, as you can see from the stack of stuff above.OK, I definitely do know more that just about anybody that would ever read this Blog; Competition Aerobatics, but I did that back in the 1980s. And there may be a History topic or two, I could be used for a reference in a research paper.

Just remember; I can explain it for you all you want, but I can't understand it for you without your help.

I wish I knew what to say to help you through what I know is a difficult time for you. You have helped me many times and I know you to be a friendly, caring, helpful person. Trying to explain something to someone who does not want to hear and who feels that to disagree with his or her opinions is a personal attack is losing project.

I have the strong opinion that there comes a time when silence is not golden; a time when we must take a stand or we can no longer live with ourselves.

Knowing you I am sure you did what you felt was right just as I did. We are responsible for our own actions and how we treat others. We are not our Brother's Keeper. That is a misinterpretation of the Bible. Our brother or sister is responsible for his or her own actions. You may be asking yourself should I have said less, could I have done more? Hind sight is always twenty-twenty.

Religion 101A: An unjust law may be broken if you are willing to accept the consequences of breaking it. It takes a brave person to do that.

Too bad I can't say what I think is the truth to all the people that where reading the postings in the 2 or 3 forums that all that "Free Speech" was being practiced in. I was Banned to protect the site owners right to say what he wanted to say, with out any contrasting viewpoints, or debate. Personally I think this is a very common practice of people with his kind of political views: limit the other side to as little speech as possible, and call them names to limit the number of people listening to them.

I am inclined to agree with you but find the extremists on either side do the same thing. Scream loud enough and no one can hear the moderates. These extremists number few but do not fight fair. You cannot debate with anyone who has earplugs. He is not the only one.

Free Speech means you have the right to express your own opinion whether it be politics, broccoli or games.

If it is a debate then facts are important and each side should be free to question the facts presented in calm, civil manner and should be allowed to present their facts and have them considered in a calm, civil manner.

Spoiler:

Calling someone a racist is an Ad Hominem argument unless you have actual proof that they are.

Good to see Mr K's blog is still going to continue. Have got rather used to hearing your voice so to speak, would be terrible for the world not to know how your tomatos and bananas get on. Not really one for hanging around serious discussions, I missed most of the recent events linked to the above spoilers. Just got the bewildering rants in the aftermath.